Senator Francis Tolentino answers media questions on Monday, March 20, 2023 at the Senate in Pasay City. (Photo by Daniza Fernandez)
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has been asked to defer the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections as it is “too early” and will “burden” local government units.
Senator Francis Tolentino said on Monday that he told the poll body to move the COC filing to August instead of July.
“Ako po ay nakiusap sa Commission on Elections na i-postpone ang filing ng certificate of candidacy sa August, ‘wag po sa July dahil napakaaga po ng July,” the senator told reporters in an interview at the Senate.
(I appealed to the Commission on Elections to postpone the filing of certificates of candidacy to August, not July, because it is too early.)
“It will burden local government units. Magkakaroon na ng napakaraming ban — ban sa employment, ban sa construction — at it will entail administrative expenses on the part of the Philippine National Police. Katakot-takot na checkpoint na ‘yun. Gun ban na, ang daming ide-deploy na tao, resources,” he added.
(It will burden local government units. There will be several bans — employment ban, construction ban — and it will entail administrative expenses on the part of the Philippine National Police. There will be a lot of checkpoints. There will be a gun ban, and many people and resources will be deployed.)
Tolentino likewise floated the possibility of having violence with an early COC filing.
“Napakaaga ng ating electoral cycle. ‘Wag naman mangyari baka may kaunting violence pa ‘yan. So, i-delay natin kasi 10 araw lang naman ‘yung kampanya, and I’m asking the Commission on Elections to study this matter,” he said.
(Our electoral cycle is too early. I hope it will not happen, but there may be minor violence. So, let us delay the COC filing because the campaign period is just ten days, and I’m asking the Commission on Elections to study this matter.)
Tolentino said other lawmakers asked for his help to delay the COC filing.
The senator has already sent a letter to the poll body.
Comelec chairperson George Garcia said they are eyeing an earlier COC filing date to address nuisance filing cases.
But, he said that the commission would consider a later COC filing.
“As [I] have said before, the later filing date of [COCs] for [BSKE] is sensible and will be seriously considered by the poll body. There were already initial discussions on this matter by the En Banc several [days] ago,” Garcia told reporters in a message on Monday.
“Hopefully, we will be able to come up [with] a final decision this coming [Wednesday],” he continued.